Tool handle



'De'c. 4, 1923, 1,475,961

M. S. NEAL TOOL HANDLE Filed Aug. 51. 1921 I M M M avwento'c an, A 6mm m WVAM Patented Dec. 4, 1923.

UNITED STATES F F l E MORRIS STANLEY NEAL, OF COLLINSVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

TOOL HANDLE. I

Application filed August 31, 1521.

- following is a specification.

The invention has for an object to construct a tool handle, in which the material forming the gripping member of the handle will be fastened to the shank of the tool so securely as to minimize loosening or shifting between the above-mentioned elements.

Another object is to provide a handle wherein the grip portion may be readily adjusted to proper position on the tool shank, without requiring expensive fitting operations for individual handles of the same type, thus making the handles interchangeable in most instances, and permitting the same to be cheaply manufactured without sacrificing strength or accuracy of fit.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious and in part specifically pointed out in the description hereinafter contained, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof; such embodiment, however, is to be considered merely as illustrative of its principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a top view of a tool handle constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing one of the grip portions spaced from the remainder of the handle.

The invention is illustrated as applied to a knife shank 1, of a butchers knife for example, the gripping members 2, of horn,

wood, rubber composition or other suitable material, being disposed on opposite sides of the shank 1, and being secured thereto by means of suitable binding members 3 seated in the gripping members 2 and passing through holes l in the shank.

The binding parts 3 may be considered as rivets, screws, or the like. If the enga ing surfaces of the shank and gripping mem are be made flat and the pressure exerted by binding members 3 be relied upon to furnish the sole means for holding the elements of the handle in proper relation to each other, it ordinarily will be necessary to fit the binding members carefully with regard Serial No. 497,092.

to the holes 4 in the shank and to align the holes in the gripping members 2 with the holes in the shank very accurately in order that when the parts of the handle are assembled the holes and edges of the gripping members will be coextensive with those of the shank. Thus, each handle will have to be fitted more or less individually, requiring special drilling and fitting operations which involve considerable time and expense.

According to the present invention, the tool shank and the gripping members are provided with interlocking raised portions and depressions which position the gripping members properly when the latter are assembled with regard to the shank, and thus the binding member 3 need not be carefully positioned to insure that the parts are properly assembled, but need only be tightened up to bring about proper engagement between the abovementioned raised portions and depressions.

In the present instance, the knife shank 1 is provided with raised portions 5, which extend around its edges on opposite sides, and which co-operate with depressions 6 in the adjacent surfaces of the gripping members 2. The raised portions may be formed on the shank 1 in any suitable manner, for instance, by drop-forging, and the depressions 6 ordinarily will be ground or bufl'ed off of the gripping members by a wheel of suitable character.

As indicated in Fig. 3, I prefer to bevel the inner edges 7 of the raised portions 5 and also the sides 8 of the depressed portions in such manner that when the parts of the handle are assembled the gripping portions 2 will be wedged into position against the shank, and thus hold securely against loosening or shifting.

As is shown in Fig. 2, it is not necessary that the raised portions 5 engage the beveled sides 8 of the depressed portions throughout, but lugs 9 may be provided at intervals for this purpose, thus permitting special ad justments in size, if necessary, to be easily made by grinding or filing off the lugs until the gripping members seat firmly against the shank.

With a structure of the above character, the binding members 3 may be made materially smaller than the holes 4 in the shank, since the engagement of the binding members with the walls of the holes is not relied Oil l of he .n-

Linon grevent lat i'al sniffing ping members; thus the holes 10 in the gripping members, which receive the binding members, need not beaccurateiy aligned with the hole 4, nor need the holes in the shank and gripping members be spaced an exact distance, and the size oi hole 4 may be made large enough to insure that no special fitting operations, With reyard for indi- "Edna even though limensions I ereoi": var some exl re employ stool 119' g so usual" o as t'-e gripping i embe s 2 nxinly against raised portions 5 of the shanlnwithout 't n any substantial a nonnt of s 7 I r E211 nandlesor a given species ention has been SCll'JQCl, it IS OlJVl-Ol.

(Lo i any changes mzw arting from its following claims: claini I A tool handle eon 'ng a metallic nl: member, a grippn iernber dis ne side of said slim-2: one of said .iers having raised .portion at its I dges fitting'into a depression ad acent side of the other 2 'nciple, as defined in L the nine portions of the adjacent surfaces of saic t, and means or binding said members together.

A5 2. A tool handle comprising a metallic gripping nietnhers d ie thereof, said part with interlocking raised and depressions, said shank member having relatively Faro ho e therethrough, and a smaller binding ni er extending through said hole to secure the gripgiing members to the shank member. 7

3. A tool handl comp sing a metallic 1-5 shank nieinber, gripgiincv nienibers disposed on o iosite sides thereof, said Darts bein I .L c3

news-er Erin interlocking raised portions e ZQlfifilVGi" large hole therethrough, anda s filer binding member extending through -Ml ho e to secure the g ipping members to e adjacent surfaces or said members being r and having depressions id d raving a relatively large hole therethr Fig.1, and smaller binding 3.:1ernber extending through said holefto secure the gripping members to the shank member.

L tool handle comprising a metallic her having a raised portion on side located the edges thereof, gripeinber and having depressions lit said raised portions, said a hip? of relatively small diniensionsjen- 'ng ti o other member, and means for Lg the IRHllJGTS together.

: testinony that I claim the foregoing, .ve hereunto set my hand this 29th day of August, 1921.

MORRIS STANLEY NEAL.

eoressions, shank member having the shank member, a substantial area of portions, said rs disposed at opposite sides of V r ha *ing relatirely large hole- 0 the shank member, 

